Spinoza, Metaphysics, and the Possibility of Salvation: The Finite in the Infinite

This book offers a novel interpretation of Spinoza’s basic metaphysics of God, body, and mind. It considers the fundamental question of how finite things, especially human minds, are in God. Moreover, because for Spinoza God is identical with the universe, the question becomes how finite things are in the universe.

This book shows that for Spinoza finite things are closer to God than what is thought in most contemporary Spinoza studies. It claims that the essences of finite things are degrees or, in a very specific sense of the term ＂part,＂ parts of the infinite essence of God. This book also shows how Spinoza’s basic metaphysics attempts to give us the possibility to unite with God so that we can share some of God’s perspective with the world. This new knowledge, Spinoza claims, provides the mind with eternity and a kind of individual salvation that is deeply meaningful. This book is not only a study of Spinoza’s basic concepts, but it also takes seriously what kind of epistemic attitude is required for experiencing the world truly. It is difficult to see and experience oneself in Spinoza’s monistic system where God is the only existing substance. This book offers a novel and engaging interpretation of the Ethics that takes seriously the ontological experience of Spinoza’s philosophy.

Spinoza, Metaphysics, and the Possibility of Salvation is an essential resource for scholars and graduate students working on Spinoza, early modern philosophy, and metaphysics.

Olli Koistinen is professor emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland. His publications include Cambridge Companion to Spinoza’s ETHICS (editor, 2009), Spinoza: metaphysical themes (ed., with John Biro, 2002), Agent and action (2001) and many papers on Spinoza, as well publications on Kant and Descartes.